H2
	 Volume 15
	  Chapter 10 (149)
	   Didn't Need To

 - Page 167 -

(Ch. 10) Didn't Need To

Announcers: After Hirota's failed stolen base attempt, there is one out and no runners on base.
	Kokubu has fallen behind in the count, 1 ball and 2 strikes.
	He raises his leg...

 - Page 168 -

Announcer: And here's the fourth pitch!

 - Page 169 -

(Ch. 10) Didn't Need To

 - Page 170 -

Shiroyama: Dunce.

 - Page 171 -

Announcers: It's a pop-up.
	A foul down the first base line.
	Uh-oh!
	He dropped it!
	And Kokubu is given another chance.
	Now let's see what happens...

 - Page 172 -

 - Page 173 -

Ump: Strike three, yer out!

Hideo: He throws his best pitch,
	Kuruma-san.

Announcers: Two outs and nobody on.
	Aha,
	here comes Suzuki-kun, the rightfielder.
	Let me tell you,
	THIS is the batter I have my eye on for this game.

 - Page 174 -

Announcers: He's a great fastball hitter.
	And his swing is at least as fast as Hirota-kun's.
	This batter may hold the key to bringing down Kunimi-kun.
	I'm sure Senkawa is aware of that.
	It's easy to get that kind of information about the spring champion team.
	Which means, Kuruma-san,
	that like Hirota-kun's at-bat, we could see more of that SF.
	SF?
	The straight fork...
	Uh,
	Ohhh.
	Right, the SF.
	Absolutely.

 - Page 175 -

 - Page 176 -

Ump: Three out, change sides!

Announcer: Did that one sink, Kuruma-san?

Player: The only reason they think Suzuki can hit fastballs
	is because Coach Shiroyama wrote that on the player introduction.

 - Page 177 -

Player: But, in The Materials We Collected, he has a high percentage of swinging at fastballs.

Book: The Materials We Collected

Player: In practice games, yes.

Book: The Materials We Collected

Players: But narrow it down to tournament games.
	You'll see that he's quite a good curveball hitter.
	That doesn't only apply to Suzuki.
	What that geezer says and what his players can actually do are very different things.
	When Hirota loses control of his pitching,
	it's because it's all a carefully constructed act?
	Exactly.

 - Page 178 -

Player: You were right to go with the fastball,
	Kunimi.

Hikari: Did you tell him that, Hide-chan?

Hideo: I didn't need to.
	Senkawa's coach knows the way the geezer thinks better than anyone else.

Hikari: Oh.

 - Page 179 -

Announcer: In the bottom of the second, Eikyo got a base-on-balls,
	but ended up with three straight outs.

Teams: S
	E

Announcer: Both teams have their 7-8-9 hitters coming up in the third.
	Based on how well both pitchers are doing,
	we can guess this will be an uneventful inning.

Players: Hironaga
	Ohtake
	Shima

 - Page 180 -

Announcer: Well now,
	let's see what...

 - Page 181 -

Announcer: A dead ball?!
	Right on the bulls-eye!

Shiroyama: That fool!
	What was he thinking?

Ogura: It wasn't on purpose.

Shiroyama: Of course not!

 - Page 182 -

Shuji: You don't often see Hirota hit someone at half-speed.
	Or in the place that's least likely to injure anyone.

Hiro: That was an actual dead ball.

Shuji: But now it makes it much harder for him to hit you, Kunimi-san.

Scoreboard: E

PA: Batting eighth, rightfielder Ohtake-kun.

 - Page 183 -

Noda: Is it a sacrifice bunt?

Koga: Given Eikyo's infield,
	Hirota's precision,
	and his own skill, it would be harder for Ohtake to bunt than to get a hit.

Noda: So you told him to strike out.

Koga: Yep.

 - Page 184 -

Koga: He's gonna swing three times.

Hirota: {It was a short time we treated each other like cousins, Fumio.
	May you regret it for years to come.}

 - Chapter 10 End -

 - Volume 15 End -